


Can't Lose My Only Home

by navaan



Category: Marvel (Comics), Marvel 616
Genre: Established Relationship, Ficlet, Fluff and Angst, Hugs, Love, M/M, Sappy Ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-22
Updated: 2018-07-22
Packaged: 2019-06-14 09:23:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15385728
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/navaan/pseuds/navaan
Summary: They were floating inside the breathable atmosphere of a dying alien planet. The sky was the color of lilac and space. Perhaps Tony would have enjoyed cataloging the science behind its beauty if the planet hadn't tried to take something most precious from him.





	Can't Lose My Only Home

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Lost Together With You](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14933447) by [Dophne](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dophne/pseuds/Dophne). 



> Written for the Cap-IronMan [Tiny Reverse Bang 2018 Round 2](http://capim-tinybang.tumblr.com/post/175885460023/cap-im-tiny-reverse-bang-2018-round-2-assemble) for the [stunningly beautiful art by Dophne](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/CapIronMan_TinyReverseBang2018_ART/works/14933447), Prompt Assemble. Give her some love for it, please! Thank you so much for sending it in! ♥
> 
> I also used my Cap-IronMan Bingo card prompt "hugs".

They were floating inside the breathable atmosphere of a dying alien planet. The sky was the color of lilac and space. Perhaps Tony would have enjoyed cataloging the science behind its beauty if the planet hadn't tried to take something most precious from him before it went. 

The pink colored pod had closed around Steve without a noise and since then Tony had stood by - taking readings, floating closer in the armor to test the sphere. Sometimes he talked to Steve who was suspended inside, frozen again in time like he was back in the ice.

It scared Tony to see him like this.

It scared him more to think that he might not be able to find a way to get him out.

"Look, Winghead," he muttered, "this whole Man out of Time thing was funny the first time, but I thought you'd were happy with us now. Cut it out? Break free? You're Captain America!"

Steve didn't move. His face remained slack.

No signs of breathing were letting his chest rise and fall and although Tony knew he was suspended, all vital signs showing him as alive, fear gripped his heart. 

_I can't lose him. After everything, how would I live with myself?_

He needed to get him out of there.

Inside the armor his hands were sweaty as he continued to work. "Is Reed here yet?" he asked Carol, who was waiting for him on the Quinjet.

"He has answered our call. He's on his way. But Earth is far away, Tony."

Iron Man floated along around the pink colored sphere and put a hand against it. "Come on, Tony," he whispered to himself. "You can solve this. You need to get Steve out of this one..."

He leaned his armored forehead against the sphere. Steve's face was so close to his own and yet they were held apart by impenetrable layers. It was like a sad metaphor for the years they'd spent circling each other without ever taking the final steps into something more.

"I was such an idiot," he whispered. "But so were you. Come on, Steve. Tell me what to do, so I can bring you home."

And that's when the armor showed him a new data stream. "Oh? Oh!" 

He jumped into action even before the idea was fully formed.

"Carol? I might have an idea."

And suddenly it was easy: He pushed, let the armor's energy flow into the sphere until its nearly translucent rings started turning and moving and finally opened. Steve's eyes snapped open inside of it. 

With relief and joy singing in his heart Tony threw all caution to the wind and retracted the armor back into his bones, let himself fall into the pod in front of Steve to hug him, touching him. He needed to feel his warmth and hear his breath - _know_ he was alive and okay.

"Tony," Steve said and pulled him closer. "Thanks."

Tony didn't trust himself with words. He leaned their foreheads together and said: "Don't scare me like this. Ever. Again."

"I hadn't planned to," Steve said wryly and his hands too were busy with touching, as if he needed to make sure Tony was really here and this wasn't a dream. "I heard you, Tony," he whispered. "Bring me home then?"

Soft, relieved laughter broke out of his chest taking the darkest strands of his scared worry with them. "You're my home, Steve!"

Always and forever.

And with scary certainty.

It was just as well that he didn't have to explain because Steve covered his lips in a fierce kiss.

Carol cleared her throat and told them over the communicator: "Guys, really? Can we go now?"

**Author's Note:**

> You can follow me for fic updates on [tumblr](https://navaanwrites.tumblr.com/) and [twitter](https://twitter.com/navaanwrites). This fic has a post on the tumblr [here](https://navaanwrites.tumblr.com/post/176149893849/cant-lose-my-only-home-trb-fill-assemble) in case you want to share it. It also has a page on my [Dreamwidth](https://navaan.dreamwidth.org/616517.html).


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